Second Pallid Swift & A Western Bonelli's Warbler!

WESTERN BONELLI'S WARBLER!

By Washington Hide, Holkham Pines – Found By Richard Millington
BIRD OF THE DAY!

Glandford
I arrived at Glandford to see the Black Redstart, which has been showing well the last few days, but it wasn't this morning! It was a beautiful sunny day without a hint of rain or cloud in the skies. Had a lovely time photographing the House Sparrows on the roof tiles opposite the CleySpy Shop. Stopped at the Cley 'Deli' to buy a scrummy piece of Ginger & Pear Cake!

 House Sparrows at Glandford, next to 'Cley Spy'. 

Gramborough Hill, Salthouse
Apart from a few Goldfinches, there were no birds in the bushes at Gramborough at all. I saw a 'Small Copper' at the base of one of the brambles, but it vanished when I got the camera on it! But I did find this spectacular Parasol Mushroom and an aircraft flew low over the sea!

 Parasol Mushroom (Macrolepiota procera), Gramborough Hill, Salthouse.

Plane going over Gramborough Hill, Salthouse.

Little Eye, Salthouse
Beautiful walk, but no birds of note. It seemed as though it was going to be one of those stunningly warm days with no rares turning up at all. It seemed so unfair that Shetland was being spoilt with so many mega birds, one after the other. Back at the carpark I felt a bit fed-up and decided it was time for a mid-morning snack. I was just tucking into the Ginger & Pear Cake, when I had a phone call from Mark Golley to say that Richard Millington had found a Western Bonelli's Warbler at Holkham Pines, near the boardwalk by 'Washington Hide'! Seconds later it bleeped up on the pager. That's more like it! I didn't even finish the cake!

So many slow cars in front of me on route to Holkham, that just had to be overtaken!

Holkham Pines
Parked at the top end of Lady Ann's drive and reluctantly put £4.50 in the machine for four hours. I even beat James MacCallum and Mark Golley here, who pulled up in the carpark after me! Lots of beach people around and bouncing dogs – is it half term? It was a very hot day for late October, probably one of the last hot days we will have. The clocks go back on Saturday, which I absolutely hate – this means going to work in the dark, leaving work in the dark and also means no birding in the evenings until Spring, absolutely rubbish!

At Washington Hide, Richard M. was trying to re-locate the Western Bonelli's Warbler he had found. He showed me the branch where he first saw the bird, which was right next to the path he had been walking along! I imagined this and felt both excited and mortified that he had seen it THAT close! We searched and searched for that bird, but no sign. The doldrums set in big time. I continued alone, along the main path towards 'Meals House' and as far as the 'Joe Jordan Hide' hoping to find a tit flock with the Bonelli's. Met a nice couple who read my blog – nice to meet you. Found a couple of Chiffchaffs and a few Long-tailed Tits. Three Common Buzzards were soaring in the blue skies above 'Meals House' which was nice. I searched down the path east of Joe Jordan Hide and found nothing. I then walked along the path which veers off inland from the hide and leads to a pond which is a really good spot for birds – I was really peed off to find that there is now a 5-bar gate and fence up across the path with a no entry sign!!! So you are not allowed to walk to that pond now at all – I don't quite understand why, maybe someone will be able to let me know please?

Western Bonelli's Warbler in flight – arty, farty shot!

I had just started to trudge back along the path, when Mark G. rang me to say the Western Bonelli's Warbler was showing again by the hide – my reply "you're joking"! I speed walked back and joined a crowd of people crammed in on the boardwalk next to the hide. It was fabulous to see this wonderful Western Bonelli's Warbler at 3.05pm finally! I managed to get some good views of the bird and a few record shots, before it shot off through the bushes. There was, as is typical nowadays at twitches, far too much noise going on. I don't understand why people talk so loudly, it may or may not have been the reason the bird flew off, who knows! To add to that a few minutes later, two greyhounds appeared in the bushes where the bird was, having a massive play scrap and barking like crazy – no owners in sight anywhere, my temper was rising! Time to leave and for a very good reason, as the pager bleeped up with PALLID SWIFT at Felbrigg Hall!!!

James and Mark decided to twitch the Pallid Swift too and we all marched back to the carpark and sped away to Felbrigg. They got there before me, which I couldn't quite understand!

Felbrigg Hall
There were lots of birders here including LGRE, Joan, Andy Stoddart, James Mc., M.A.G., David Norgate, Julian B. etc etc. The Pallid Swift was not in view when we first arrived. Lee was standing much further back in the field behind the carpark and suddenly shouted with excitement that it was 'over the trees and coming towards us'. Within seconds, I was watching my second Pallid Swift at 4.35pm!!! There was no possibility of photos though, it was sadly too distant. We watched it on and off over the hall but it was always distant. A bit later Lee said he saw the bird flying way off into the distance in what seemed a westerly direction – had this bird gone towards Muckleburgh and Weybourne? Was it the same bird as the one I saw yesterday? Who knows!

It was a really nice social gathering too. Lots of banter going on! Lee seemed fascinated by my Pallid Swift shots from yesterday and said that I had the best shot he had seen to confirm ID, out of all of the recent Pallid Swifts photographed – he said it was a 'classic Pallid'. Funny really that such an out-of-focus shot of a bird against a black rain cloud, has such importance! Andy Stoddart also seconded what Lee was saying. It got very cold as the sun was setting. We were all hoping that the swift would come back to the hall to roost, but that wasn't to be! What a wonderful end to the day!

 A spectacular day after a very slow start!

 Mark Golley, Lee Evans & James McCallum at Felbrigg Hall.